


Tooth

by Tatedeco



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bruce Wayne Has Issues, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, Dick Grayson Has Issues, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, New 52, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26761117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tatedeco/pseuds/Tatedeco
Summary: Bruce knocks out Dick's tooth in his paranoia to take down the Court of Owls. But what if Bruce doesn't get it right the first time? And what if Dick has enough of it?New 52: Nightwing #7
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Clark Kent
Comments: 23
Kudos: 208





	Tooth

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back for a little one-shot. Because I can't help resisting a good Dick-Bruce fallout fic. But I just had to because the scene where Bruce knocks out Dick's tooth during the Court of Owls-arc is just infuriating to me. It is non-sensical that he would knock out the "right" tooth first try – I don't care that he's Batman. And they just gloss over it.
> 
> I actually like New 52 Nightwing - first proper Nightwing series I read. But canon let me down in that instance.
> 
> For context: The story takes place during the Court of Owls Arc. It happens right after Haly's circus is destroyed and Dick learns of Raymond and Raya (his old circus friends) betraying him. I think the story can stand on its own but context is always nice. :)

Bruce was back. He had been gone for weeks. Running after the Court of Owls and forgetting everything around him. And even worse: He had told Alfred that he wanted to be left alone to do _Batman-y_ things. The butler had ignored Bruce's request and called Dick. Because all of them were concerned about Bruce. Dick would have already looked for him if this wasn't typical Bruce behavior. How often had Dick searched for his mentor in one of these phases – only to be met with a stern talking-to when he found him?

" _I don't need your help",_ Bruce had said in these instances, _"I don't need anyone."_

Dick scoffed. Alfred would probably like to have a word with Bruce about that. Because last time Dick had looked, Bruce didn't even know how to operate a laundry machine. There was a reason why Jason made fun of Bruce's rich boy antics.

So, yes. Vanishing for weeks to chase after a lead? Not surprising at all. Typical Bruce behavior. Dick would be richer than Bruce by now if he got a penny every time Bruce pulled something like this. And he could even use that money, now that his circus had gone up in flames.

But Dick had _been_ concerned. And his life wasn't going smoothly at the moment either. It was going kind of horribly actually. But what Alfred had told him sounded horrible. Bruce was spiraling down a path of paranoia and he needed someone to pull him out of it. Dick sighed. Sometimes, he felt like he was shouldering the emotional work for two people. Because Bruce couldn't express an emotion to save his life.

When Dick entered the Cave, Bruce seemed even more paranoid than usual. He was tinkering around with some machines. A motionless body was strapped to a gurney. Dick stared at it in disbelief.

Shit. Bruce's eyes had dark shadows under them and he had this driven expression on his face. The kind where nothing could get him out of his costume.

Bruce explained that the captive was a Talon. One of the Court's assassins. And a slew of other science mumbo jumbo that Dick barely cared for. Not after he had seen the circus go up in flames and Raymond – his oldest friend – fall to his death. Dick couldn't deal with Bruce's shit. Not tonight. Maybe he shouldn't have come. But Bruce needed him. And Dick had a hard time _not_ running when Bruce needed him.

Dick was only was torn out of his musings when Bruce told him that the strange man was Dick's Great Grandfather. Dick lost it after that. He understood that Bruce was going through a rough time with the Court getting under his skin. Still. How could Bruce keep these things from him? Dick was only here because Alfred had called him. He would have never known without Alfred because Bruce was a secretive, over-paranoid bastard.

Dick screamed at Bruce. So, angry that he barely knew what he was saying. Shaking in rage because his damn surrogate father (not even adopted) couldn't be honest for once. Because he had to hide everything behind ten curtains of deception.

Bruce stayed silent. Not reacting. Because he never did. He never changed. He always expected the people in his life to bend around him. And Dick was very flexible. But even he was sick of it now.

Bruce's fist came out of nowhere, cutting Dick off mid-sentence. The crack that echoed through the Cave was sickening. Dick crashed to the floor. Pain rushed through his jaw and Dick felt the blood trickle down his face. He spat out blood and something that felt like one of his teeth.

Bruce didn't seem concerned at all. He bent down and picked the tooth up. Examining something. Tears filled Dick's eyes. Bruce had lost it this time. His paranoia had completely taken over. Dick couldn't take it anymore. He was supposed to be at home here. Home was supposed to be safe.

Bruce examined the tooth and growled as if he hadn't gotten the toy from the arcade machine he wanted.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?", Dick screamed, his jaw aching.

Bruce turned the tooth around in his hand. Still ignoring Dick. Dick stood up with shaky legs. Holding the tears at bay. Thankful for the mask because it hid at least some of them. He would leave this Cave with some of his dignity intact. His thoughts were racing. And his body felt as if it had been run over by the Batmobile.

"Come back", Bruce said in his Batman-voice.

How much Dick resented that damn voice.

"Why should I?", and Dick couldn't keep the tears from falling, "You just made clear what you think of me."

"I have my reasons", Bruce said.

And Dick could explode again. But he just sighed, feeling tired. Tired after years of adapting to Bruce. Anticipating his moves and doing everything to keep him satisfied.

"What is it?", Dick asked.

He wanted to leave. Leaving was probably the smartest option. The sensible one. But maybe a part of Dick hoped that Bruce would give him a perfectly reasonable explanation for almost breaking his jaw – so that Dick could forgive him. Because walking away from Bruce tonight meant walking away from the only family he had left. The circus wasn't his home anymore. Dick had learned that in the last few months. He- He needed this family.

So, Dick came closer. Dick expected Bruce to talk. To explain. He didn't expect another punch. And this time, the crack was even louder as Dick felt his jaw break and another tooth break out. This time, he stayed on the floor. Feeling numb and pathetic. He should have just left. Why had he been so stupid to think that Bruce would step out of his comfort zone once and maybe even apologize?

Bruce picked up the tooth and nodded. Apparently satisfied with something while Dick buckled over and spit out more blood.

"You were supposed to be one of them. A Talon", Bruce said showing Dick the mark of the Court of Owls on his tooth, "They were preparing you. Waiting."

Bruce went back to his computer, furiously typing. And Dick stayed on the floor trying to pick up the shattered remains of his self. Trying to gloss over what had just happened. Trying to listen to Bruce's explanations. He just needed to do what he always did. Return to his apartment. Lick his wounds and come back to Gotham when Bruce called him again.

Only one thought ran through his head: "You hit me to get my tooth out?"

Bruce hummed, still typing: "I wasn't sure which side was the right one."

Dick closed his eyes. Taking deep breaths.

"You hit me on a fifty-fifty chance?"

Bruce continued typing on the computer. Dick stood up, his knees shaky. He couldn't anymore. It was too much.

"Are you even sorry?", Dick asked.

He- He could forgive. If Bruce apologized. They all had gone through a lot recently. Dick could forgive. He could forgive-

"I should have hit the right spot the first time."

Dick took another deep breath. He shook his head. Exhaustion had taken over his body. Lecturing Bruce was pointless. Bruce would never learn. Dick just had to suck it up. As usual. But he couldn't this time. He didn't have the energy to.

So, Dick just left. Quietly. He picked up the normal tooth. Maybe a dentist could still do something with it. Dick wasn't keen on explaining the bruises to anyone. But he had no choice. Bruce had left him none.

*

Dick spent the next few weeks in his apartment. He barely left it, feeling too emotionally drained. He only went out to go to his doctor's appointments. The doctor had seen the fist-shaped bruises on his jaw and Dick's somber demeanor.

She had pulled something out of her desk looking at him with a frown: "You can always talk to me, honey. And maybe you want to call one of the nice people listed here?"

"I'm fine", Dick had tried to smile but his jaw had hurt too much.

He still took the pamphlet the doctor had given him. A list of hotlines for domestic abuse victims. Dick threw the pamphlet into the trash when he returned home. Then, he took his painkillers and slept for the rest of the day.

He was fine. He would pick himself back up again – just like he always did. Bruce had just gone a bit farther than usual. No big deal. Dick could get over it. He always did. Always move forward with a smile. The past is past. Not important anymore.

So, Dick went to work again. He went out as Nightwing again. He kept far away from Batman's turf and the manor no matter how often Alfred called him to come for dinner. He talked to his brothers and Barbara when they visited him at his apartment. They assumed that a criminal had gotten some nasty hooks in on his jaw. Dick didn't correct them.

He was fine. He had pulled himself back up again. The circus. Bruce. It didn't matter. Dick just had to move forward. Maybe move to another city. A cheaper one. The money was a bit tight anyway. He was fine.

*

Dick returned from his morning run, meeting the postman on the door to his building. It had been weeks after his confrontation with Bruce. But there was still a prominent bruise coating his whole jaw. Dick had thought about covering it up with make-up because he couldn't stand the pity glances. But make-up reminded Dick of the circus. And Dick didn't need that reminder at the moment.

"Hi, Willy", Dick smiled, ignoring the way his jaw still hurt.

"Hey, Dick", Willy said, "You fine, man?"

"I'm good. Life is sweet."

Willy laughed: "I would love to have your sunny outlook, Grayson. I'm not sure if I could still smile with that nasty bruise right there."

Dick shrugged: "Just a mugging. Nothing special. Typical Gotham."

"It's getting worse, isn't it?", Willy shuddered, "I got a letter for you by the way. Apparently, it's from your Dad."

"My Dad?", Dick frowned.

He didn't have the energy to correct Willy.

Willy gave him a plain white envelope: "See you, Grayson."

Dick nodded. He opened the letter on the way up the stairs. Was Bruce really about to apologize? Dick couldn't believe it. But he felt a warmth in his chest. Maybe it had just been a phase. Bruce had been stressed. He had lost his temper. Things happened. And maybe he was too ashamed to talk to Dick directly. Dick understood. They could fix things. They had been through worse after all.

Dick opened the letter closing the door to his flat behind him. He was disappointed when he saw that the letter was computer written. A handwritten apology would have felt more personal. But alright. Bruce's handwriting was horrible. Maybe he wanted to make sure that Dick could read it.

Dick's face fell when he saw that the letter wasn't from Bruce at all, but his secretary.

" _Dear Mr. Grayson,_

_in the name of Mr. Wayne, I would like to inform you that he has transferred 10.000_ _to your bank account for your dental work and because he is aware of your less than stable financial situation._

_Signed, Anna Harvey_

_(acting upon Mr. Wayne's request)"_

Dick screamed in anger and tossed the letter to the floor. Everything he had tried to build himself in the last few weeks broke away because this letter – something that could barely be called a letter – showed that Bruce didn't care at all. Dick was nothing to him. Not a son. Just some idiot whom he could pay off with his pocket change. A minor inconvenience.

It was humiliating. Infuriating. Dick took the damn letter and burned it with a lighter over his sink. It didn't make him feel better. And maybe it was a petty move. But Dick deserved some pettiness after everything he had been through.

Dick went to the bank the next day. Transferring the 10.000$ right back - even if he could have used them to pay off all of his debt. And Bruce knew. That stuck-up bastard. But not with Dick. Bruce wouldn't be able to pay him off. Dick still had some dignity left.

Dick didn't say a word to Bruce. He wouldn't humor him anymore. No excuses. Bruce had crossed the line. And Dick had enough of being treated like an insignificant obstacle in Bruce's way. If Bruce didn't see him as family, then Dick wouldn't see him as family either.

There was nothing left for Dick in Gotham anymore. Just a sting of bitterness and humiliation.

So, he did what he always did when he was overwhelmed. Run away. Never look back. Start over. Move forward with a smile. Like a true performer.

Chicago was more beautiful than Gotham anyway – at every time of the year.

*

Nightwing stood on a rooftop in Chicago overlooking his new city. Things had been rocky at first – very rocky. But Dick was doing better now. Things were actually fine and Dick had managed to push Bruce to the back of his mind. He had successfully fought the need to check up on his surrogate father. He was a strong, independent Nightwing after all.

Dick chuckled to himself. He still had it after all. Too bad that there was no one he could share his genius pun with. Dick jumped down from the building enjoying the feeling of the fall. He did it. Again and again. Flying would always be freeing. And nothing could hold him back. He was a circus kid. He was always in movement.

Except-

Dick's comm line rang waiting for verbal confirmation that he wanted to take the transmission. Dick had disabled the ability to directly call him without confirmation. Setting boundaries and all.

But it could be life-altering. So, Dick took the transmission – again knowing that it was a bad idea.

"Nightwing", Batman said, "We need all hands on deck in Gotham. Come back."

"I thought you didn't need any of us", Dick bit back.

Silence.

"I do in this exception", Bruce said, "So, I order you to come back, Nightwing."

"Well", Nightwing said, "I've got important things to do here, too. There are at least ten pizza places in my neighborhood I haven't ordered from yet and-"

"I don't have time for your petty outbursts."

" _My_ petty outbursts? I didn't hit you in the fucking jaw twice."

"I had a reason to do so."

"Yes", Dick scoffed, "You wanted to take out my fucking tooth. Do you know that there are other ways to do that than a damn fist?"

"I was ready to generously compensate you for your troubles."

"I don't care about the damn money, B-"

"I can see that. Your management of personal finances leaves much to be desired."

Dick shook his head. Leave it to Bruce to be a complete douchebag.

"My jaw was broken, Bruce", Dick said, "The doctor gave me a damn pamphlet for domestic abuse victims. You did this to me."

Silence.

"We can expect injuries in our line of work", Bruce said.

Dick balled his fists in anger: "This wasn't from _our line of work_. This was you hitting me for no good reason. And don't tell me that you needed to because you needed to get the tooth out. I think you just needed a convenient punching bag that day. And I just happened to be there because I was fucking concerned about you. Stupid me. I don't know why I keep making that mistake."

Silence.

"I'm sending Superman to get you. He'll be there soon."

"I don't want to come back. You can't make me."

Bruce's voice sounded strained: "People are dying here, Nightwing. At this very moment. It's a city-wide emergency. Do you really want more people to suffer just because you couldn't get over your personal feelings?"

How dare Bruce make all of this sound like it was Dick's fault? Like Dick was the unreasonable one. But Bruce knew where to get him. Every time. And Dick hated himself for it. Who was he kidding? He would always come running for Bruce no matter how much he deluded himself. And he would run even quicker when innocent lives were at stake.

Clark floated down in front of him: "Someone ordered a lift to Gotham?"

Dick plastered on a smile: "Yeah. Time to be a hero and save some people."

Clark laughed as Dick jumped into his arms.

"Bruce told me you were having a rough time", Clark asked as they rose over the city, "Is everything fine?"

"Sure", Dick said, "New city is just always hard. I had some police chasing me in the beginning. But they don't want to kill me anymore. So, that's a win."

Clark shook his head, still not looking convinced: "If there is anything, you can tell me. We all know how exhausting Bruce can be."

"I know", Dick said, feeling more somber, "But there's nothing. I'm good."

Clark nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that", Clark said, "I was worried about you actually. So, I may have used Bruce's request to check up on you."

Dick smiled, genuinely this time. There would always be people that cared – even if Bruce didn't. And they would always catch Dick if Bruce knocked him down.

Clark set Dick down on top Wayne Tower. Dick waved at him. Gotham really looked like a shitshow. People were rioting on the streets. Glass smashed. People screamed. Sirens rang in their desperate attempt to sustain order. Dick was pretty sure that he could see the remnants of Joker Venom in the air. Or maybe something of Scarecrow's. Not a new sight but still a concerning one.

Dick halted when he felt Bruce behind him. He stood there. All Batman.

"I knew you'd come", Bruce said.

All confidence. No sign of regret.

"Because I needed you", Bruce added.

And Dick took these words and held them close to his chest. He wouldn't get more. Dick knew that. And Dick also knew that this was just another one of Bruce's half-excuses. A little crumb of what Dick really wanted and needed. But what could Dick say? He was starved for anything. So, he accepted the crumb as if it was a whole loaf of bread.

"What are we up against tonight?"

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone has any recs for fics dealing with this, I'll gladly take them. Because I haven't really been able to find them and I could read fics that explore this moment until eternity.


End file.
